Solutions for the problems in page 59:

20
 1 
12. Find the coefficient of x 20 in the expansion of  x 2  2 
 x 
20
 1 
The coefficient of x 20
in the expansion of  x 2  2  is  15,504.
 x 

n n n n n

15. Evaluate the sum            1   , where n is any positive integer.
 0 1  2  n
n  n  n n  n
           1    1   1    0   0
n n

 0 1  2  n

n n n n

16. Evaluate the sum    2    22     2n   , where n is any positive integer.
0 1  2  n
n n 2 n n n
   2    2     2    1  2   3
n n

0 1  2  n

19. Find the coefficient of x5 y 7 z 3 w8 in the expansion of  x  y  z  w .

23

The coefficient of x5 y 7 z 3 w8 in the expansion of  x  y  z  w

23
is 17,668,955,304.
  n  k  n  k  1
25. Show for n  0 that     1  .
 k   k 
k  n  k  1 k  n  k  1 !
 1     1
 k  k ! n  1 !

  1
k  n  k  1 n  k  2   n  1 n
k!
   n  k  1     n  k  2      n  1    n 

k!


 n  n  1  n  k  2  n  k  1
k!


 n  n  1  n  k  2  n  k  1 n  k !
k ! n  k  !


 n  !
k ! n  k  !
 n 
 
 k 

34. Compute the following sums assuming p  q  1

n n
 a   etk   p k q nk   etk    pet  q n k   pet  q 
n n k n

k 1 k   k k 1  
 
pet
 b   etk pq k 1  pet   qet 
k 1 1
 pet 1  qet  
k 1 k 1 1  qet

e  
k
 k e 
  t
 
c  e 
  et 1
e  e  ee   e
t
tk

k 1 k! k 1 k!

Solutions for the problems in page 66:

6. A family of four is planned. Considering only the sex of the offspring, how
many different families of four are possible? List them.
There are 24  16 possibile different families of four are there.
They are listed as follows:
 MMMM , MMMF , MMFM , MFMM , FMMM , MMFF , MFMF , MFFM , 
 
 FMFM , FMMF , FFMM , FFFM , FFMF , FMFF , MFFF , FFFF 
7. Light bulbs coming off a production line are tested until either four bulbs are
examined or two successive defective bulbs obtained. Determine the sample
space for this experiment.
Let N and D be the event that the tested bulb is non-defective and defective
respectively. Then the sample space is,
S   NNNN , NNND, NNDN , NDNN , DNNN , NNDD, NDD, DD

8. Of students studying French and English, 50% pass French, 70% pass English
and 40% pass both. What is the probability that a student selected at random
from this group passes  a  at least one of the courses,  b  neither of the courses?
 a  P Student selected at random passes at least one of the courses 
 0.5  0.7  0.4
 0.8
 a  P Student selected at random passes neither of the courses 
 1  P  Student selected at random passes at least one of the courses 
 1  0.8
 0.2

9. Of students studying Russian and German, 95% pass at least one of these
two courses, 78% pass Russian, 88% pass German. What percent pass both?
The percent pass both  78%  88%  95%  71%

21. Show that if A  B then P  A   P  B  .

If A  B, P  A  B   P  A 
Also we know that, P  A  B   P  B   P  A  B   P  B   P  A 
Also from the axioms of probability function,
P  A  B   0
P  B   P  A  0
P  B   P  A
 P  A  P  B 
22. Given that A  B, if P  A   0.345 and P  B   0.487, P  A  B  .
If A  B, P  A  B   P  A 
Also we know that, P  A  B   P  B   P  A  B 
 P  B   P  A
 0.487  0.345
 0.142

Solutions for the problems in page 71:

5. A fair coin is tossed five times, determine the probability that  a  at least
one head is obtained,  b  at most four heads are obtained.
 a  The probability that at least one head is obtained
 1  P  No heads obtained 
5
1
 1  
2
31

32
 0.96875
 b  The probability that at most four heads are obtained
 1  P  Five heads obtained 
5
1
 1  
2
31

32
 0.96875
6. A class contains 10 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 10 juniors and 3 seniors. A
student is selected at random, determine the probability the student is a
a  freshman,  b  sophomore,  c  junior,  d  senior.
10
a  The probability the selected student is a freshman   0.3571
28
5
 b  The probability the selected student is a sophomore   0.1786
28
10
 c  The probability the selected student is a junior   0.3571
28
3
 d  The probability the selected student is a seniors   0.1071
28

10. From a group of 5 men and 7 women a committee of four is to be randomly

selected. Determine the probability that it contains  a  all men,  b  2 men
and 2 women,  c  all women.
5
 
 4   1  0.0101
 
a The probability that a comm ittee of four contains all men 
12  99
 
4
 b  The probability that a committee of four contains 2 men and 2 women
 5  7 
  
    
2 2 14
 0.4242
12  33
 
4
7
 
 c  The probability that a committee of four contains all women  12   0.0707
4 1
  99
 
4
17. A fair coin is tossed 8 times, determine the probability that  a  4 heads and
4 tails are obtained,  b  more heads than tails,  c  at most 6 tails occur,
 d  at least two tails occur.
8 1
8

 a  The probability that 4 heads and 4 tails are obtained       0.2734

 4 2 
8 1
8

 b  The probability that more heads than tails obtained        0.3633

8

x 5  x   2 

8 1
8

 c  The probability that at most 6 tails occur        0.9648

6

x 0  x   2 

 8 1 
8 8

 d  The probability that at least two tails occur       0.9648

x2  x   2 